Initial Phase of Gaza Truce Plan Almost Finished, States Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the primary segment of the United Nations-backed Gaza halt in hostilities plan is approaching finalization, noting that the subsequent stage must include the disarmament of Hamas.
Upcoming Discussions in Washington
The Israeli leader stated he would discuss the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.
“We are close to finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we attain the same results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to reviewing with President Trump.”
European Leader Visits Netanyahu
The prime minister was talking at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must begin now and then stage three must also be considered.”
Merz is the first leader of a leading European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.
Details of the Current Truce
Under the first phase of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire was declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the identical timeframe.
Future Stages and Unclear Timeline
Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be created under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.
The sequencing of these steps is vague in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.
“I think it’s crucial to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he asserted.
Potential Alternatives and Political Stances
Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was adamantly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.
International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Cases
Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as fabricated by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an investigation.
Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.
Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide.
Asked about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the current juncture.”